Games in the RPG genre with strategy elements on the PC are a great option for gamers who are eager to challenge their own quick wits and endurance. There is freedom of action, and the possibility of tactical wagering, bringing to the gameplay the dynamics and depth that are sometimes so lacking in projects with a narrow focus.
We present to our readers a list of the best games that combine two unique genres at once: RPG and Strategy. Note that this is not the top 100 RPGs with strategy elements on the PC - tops with similar headers can often be found on the Internet. Unfortunately, it is unlikely to be able to recruit such a large number of worthy projects. Despite the success of both genres separately, the truly outstanding mixed games come out not so often. Today we will share a relatively small list of RPGs with elements of strategies on the PC that every enthusiastic PC gamer should play at least once. If our recommendations are to your taste, then we advise you to pay attention to other tops. Go!
Pillars of eternity
An exciting old-school game from the developers of the studio Obsidian Entertainment, which will offer to plunge into the virtual world of this "dark fantasy". The events of the game take us to the fictional universe of Eora, where an incomprehensible supernatural attack rages with might and main. The fact is that from a certain time all the children in Dirwood began to be born without a soul. No one knows how to stop this terrible "disease" and prevent the birth of "empty births". We, in turn, play for the protagonist with the unique gift of the Guardian - he knows how to make contact with other people's souls and look into other people's lives. It is the main character who will get to the truth and put an end to the curse that struck innocent children.
Tyranny
Another worthy RPG project with strategy elements from Obsidian Entertainment, whose release took place just a year after Pillars of Eternity. The game also unfolds in a fictional fantasy world, while there is nothing in common with the world from Pillars of Eternity. According to the plot, most of the territories were captured by the ominous lord Kairos. We take on the role of the Conjurer of Fates - a hero who is one of the closest servants of Kairos and who is tasked with establishing order in the recently captured region. Tyranny, like Pillars of Eternity, has an isometric view and similar tactical gameplay.
Divinity: Original Sin II
The next best RPG with strategy elements from our list will definitely appeal to all lovers of party role-playing adventures. D: OS II is a direct continuation of the cult Divinity series, developed by talented developers from Larian Studios through the Kickstarter service.
The second part of Divinity: Original Sin was able to save all the best from the original game, while adding a lot of great new innovations. Players have the opportunity to engage in detailed customization of their character, who must go to meet exciting adventures and unprecedented dangers. The plot of the game unfolds as you progress through numerous quests, each of which is not only interestingly registered, but also has good replayability. In addition, Divinity: OS II can be played both alone and in a company of up to 4 people. The multiplayer component, deep ENT and wonderful atmosphere make the game truly unique in its genre.
Xcom 2
One of the coolest Sci-Fi RPGs with strategy elements on a PC, telling about a collision of the Earth with an alien threat. The basis of the gameplay component of XCOM 2 is similar to the previous game in the series, which at one time was called Enemy Unknown. We have to take control of the new Avenger mobile base, rebuilt from an alien ship. As in the prequel, we must collect units from various fighters, each of which has its own unique abilities and leveling.
XCOM 2 is primarily a turn-based strategy, and then RPG, so the outcome of each battle in it depends on the player’s quick wits and foresight, and nothing else. Battles are periodically diluted with artifact mining tasks to develop the base. The game promises new enemies, many non-standard situations and a lot of room for tactical wagering.
Wasteland 2
The next game from our today's list of the best RPGs with elements of strategy, we recommend to all fans of a solid post-apocalyptic. The plot of Wasteland 2 continues the prequel events, while about fifteen years have passed since the end of the first part of Wasteland. We again find ourselves in a familiar post-apocalyptic world after a terrible thermonuclear war broke out between the USA and the USSR. The game takes place in the southwestern United States. Nevada's desert rangers led by General Vargas are starting to receive unknown broadcasts with suspicious messages.
Vargas decides to send one of his best soldiers to a remote radio tower to install a device on it for more precise signal tracking. Unfortunately, the plan fails, and the soldier is found killed. To investigate the mysterious incident, Vargas gathers a special group, which we have to take under our control.
Darkest dungeon
Perhaps one of the best RPGs with elements of strategy on a PC for fans of something truly hardcore. The role of the Darkest Dungeon is actively using a subgenre such as roguelike, which consists of step-by-step gameplay, random generation of levels and irreversible death of characters (if the character died in battle, the passage will have to start again).
Game events are built around a group of adventurers. Each time, the heroes descend into the gloomy dungeons that the old estate hides in order to collect as many treasures and family relics as possible. On their way, seekers will encounter various monsters, ingenious traps and endless darkness - all this, one way or another, will have an effect on the mental state of the characters. Distraught heroes can easily slip into alcoholism, kleptomania and other negative habits, which, in turn, will lead to tensions within the group and inappropriate behavior during the battle.
Valkyria chronicles
The next project from our list of the best RPGs with strategy elements on a PC was originally released only on the Playstation 3. In 2014, Valkyria Chronicles was successfully re-released on Windows, and this time PC users were able to enjoy this exciting game. The plot develops in an alternative reality, in Europe in 1935. A small state called Gallia has to take part in the rapidly developing events of World War II (we recall that this is an alternative historical version). It just so happened that Gaul, being the owner of super-valuable reserves of useful resources, becomes the target of two warring parties - the Imperial Alliance and the forces of the Atlantic Federation. We have to play for young militia fighters who need to protect their homeland and defend its independent status.
Xenonauts
The developers of Xenonauts consider their project a kind of "rethinking" of the original X-COM: UFO Defense. The game has undergone many changes and innovations, while the basic mechanics just the same remained the same. Like X-COM: UFO Defense, Xenonauts gameplay has strategic and tactical elements.
According to the plot of the game, we find ourselves in an alternative world in 1979. Two superpowers of that time, the USSR and the United States, decide to join forces to jointly combat the alien danger hanging over the planet. We, as players, have to deal with a wide variety of activities - from building bases and conducting research to creating an army and participating in ground-based turn-based battles.
Operation Silent Storm
And at the end of our list of the best RPGs with elements of a strategy, we recall the game that was released back in 2003. Operation Silent Storm is an exciting turn-based role-playing game, which at one time was a real breakthrough in the genre.
The events taking place in the plot can be described as a crypto-historical view of the Second World War. We will be transferred to European territory in 1943, where we have to stop the secret organization of terrorists called the Hammer of the Torah. He is developing a secret weapon, which is actually an orbital beam weapon. Playing as a sabotage group, we must put an end to the organization’s plans and prevent it from establishing world domination.